About the Author: My love for the mountains began with family vacations in the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. I am now fortunate enough to live very near the Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest. My goal is to hike 2-3 times a week for as long as I am able! -MakeherMark
On a windy but dry day in October, I walked my final steps of the Shenandoah National Park (SNP) 500 Challenge, joining the growing ranks of hikers attempting this goal. The journey toward completion involved many hours pouring over maps and monitoring weather, trail, and road conditions – 2018 has been a challenging year of weather extremes in Virginia. The beauty of this challenge is there is no time period for completing this network of 512.4 miles of trails. However, take warning, once committed to the idea it becomes an obsession, albeit a rewarding one! Prior to deciding in the fall of 2017 to undertake the challenge, I had done some hiking in the SNP. Having kept track of these hikes, I had the instant gratification of checking them off the SNP-500 spreadsheet.







Now here’s how to get started! First, join the Shenandoah Park Hikers Facebook page. Go to the “files” section of this site and you will find the Shen 500 Spreadsheet that you can download to keep track of your progress. Being a visual person, I also purchased the National Geographic Shenandoah National Park Map and used a pink highlighter to mark trails as I completed them. Other “must have” items for planning include the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maps #9, #10, #11, and their Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park with Side Trails. There is a fee to enter the SNP so it is beneficial to purchase one of several available passes. Information about the park and passes can be found at the Shenandoah National Park Website.
Happy Hiking!

What is the name of the woman who accomplished this?